20 Aug What an Eviction Does to a Family
Commentary, Betsy Romero
When my mom told me she had gotten an eviction notice, I was sad. Not because I was going to lose the house I lived in, but because my single, pregnant mom would have to work even harder than she already did.
Being only 15, I didn’t really understand why it was so difficult. I asked my grandparents, “Why is mom so stressed about this?” “Why is this happening to us?” and “Are we going to be OK?”
They would tell me not to stress out about it, but I still did. It was hard not to, when I saw my mom in her room almost losing her mind trying to find a new house for us to live in. She had to beg the landlords to let me, my two sisters and my brother stay for a few more months. We were notified about being evicted around October 2015, but they let us stay at the house for a couple of months while my mom tried to find a place to live.
It was stressful for me too, because I had to help my mother take care of the rest of her kids.
My mom had to work day and night to have enough money to find a new house or apartment and to take care of her four children and her baby that was still in her womb.
I never thought this would happen to us.
So I tried my best to help her take care of my brother and sisters. I tried helping her pack our things and taking my siblings outside to play while she took a break.
I also decided to quit something I really liked, my robotics club. It was hard for me to quit but I knew that my mom would need help. I told my mentor that I decided to take a break to help my mom and he said he was fine with it. Since then I haven’t been to robotics.
Eventually we couldn’t stay in our place any longer so my mom rented a storage space and we stayed with an aunt at her apartment. We stayed in her crowded apartment for about two months.
In those two months, my mom gave birth (two weeks early) to a girl, found an apartment and got a better paying job.
I saw my mom go from very stressed to calm and collected.
Right now we are doing great. We picked up where we left off, in a new place. Sometimes I miss living in our old house but I think we’re happier here. As long as we don’t have to experience all that stress again.
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